After a temporary halt of its use, the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine has been cleared again for use in the fight against the pandemic.

Starting April 24, providers in Washington may begin using the vaccine—both existing supplies and new doses the state expected to receive this week.

The vaccine is available to anyone 18 or older.

On April 13, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended a pause in administering the Johnson and Johnson (J&J) vaccine. The action was in response to cases in which six women under the age of 50 developed a severe and rare blood clotting disorder within six to 13 days of receiving the vaccine.

As of April 23, about 8 million doses of J&J were administered in the United States, and 15 cases of the blood clotting were confirmed. Three of the people died.

But following a review of J&J’s benefits and risks, a national committee recommend resuming the use of J&J, but with an FDA warning and information from J&J informing people at the point of vaccination about the risk of blood clots.

If a patient is concerned about the increased risk associated with J&J vaccine, providers are instructed to offer the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.

Safety is the highest priority for all COVID-19 vaccines, national and local health officials said.

Vaccination sites and providers can be located at findyourcovidshot.com. Information is also available from the state Department of Health at 1-800-525-0127 and doh.wa.gov. And for people who can’t easily leave their homes for vaccinations, Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department can help at www.tpchd.org/covid19vaccine and 253-649-1412.